One app. Less overwhelm. More control

How Toggl Helped Me Beat Task Overwhelm as an ADHDer and Virtual Assistant

Working from home sounds dreamy, right? No commute, snacks on hand, stretchy pants for days. But if you’ve got ADHD like me, it can also be a total brain jungle. You might think writing a blog post will take 20 minutes. Suddenly, it’s lunchtime, and you’re still trying to pick a Canva font. Or you’re convinced taking a shower will eat up half your morning, so you just skip it. (Been there. A lot.)

When I started my virtual assistant journey, I knew I needed a better grip on my time! I needed to be a pro for my clients. I also needed to survive daily life as a mum with a million tabs open in my brain. That’s when I found Toggl.

Before Toggl: Chaos in Disguise

My days were a mix of “I’ll just quickly clean the kitchen.” This often turned into hours of scrubbing. Sometimes, I put off tasks because I was convinced I didn’t have enough time. The mental load was non-stop… clean the house or get work done? If I did one, the other suffered. I kept thinking, “Which is more urgent?” and then freezing because both felt like too much.
I tried apps that said things like “this will only take 15 minutes!” but honestly, they didn’t work for me. They didn’t account for distractions, detours, or how ADHD brains love to wander. I’d tick things off lists in the wrong order or not at all.

Enter: Toggl (aka My New Brain Buddy)

I first heard about Toggl While researching virtual assistants and i stumbled across Catherine Gladwyn’s Social media content. If you are looking into becoming a Virtual assistant please check her out she is incredible. Here is her Website. Toggl is a time-tracking tool designed for freelancers and virtual assistants. However, it turned out to be a game-changer for my ADHD life.

At first, I started using it because I was scared of messing up. I wanted to know every app my clients might expect me to use. I also needed a way to track and prove how I was spending my time. But I quickly realised it wasn’t just about billing hours — it was about reclaiming my time mentally.

Now, I’ll sit down at my computer. I start a task for a client and hit “start” on the Toggl timer. I track what I’m doing, label it properly, and stop the timer when I’m done. It’s simple, but so satisfying.

Even for home tasks, I’ll open the app. I check how long something took the last time. This includes putting on laundry or vacuuming.

Turns out, the shower I thought took an hour? Eight minutes. Fifteen if I’m shaving my pits. Totally doable before the school run.

What Changed for Me

The biggest “aha” moment? Realising that most tasks aren’t as big as they feel. The overwhelm I had was often based on assumptions! And assumptions that were way off.

Now I can:

• Know what I can realistically get done in 30 minutes.
• Stop overestimating and spiralling into panic.
• Avoid falling into hyperfocus traps where the whole day disappears.
• Switch between mum-mode and work-mode without fully losing myself in one or the other.
  
  
  

For My Fellow Scattered Mums

If you’re always asking yourself, “Do I even have time to do this?” or “Why can’t I ever finish what I start?” Give Toggl a try. It’s free. You don’t need to be fancy. Just start the timer, do the task, and stop it. Then the next time your brain says “There’s no way you have time for that,” you’ve got the receipts.

Toggl wasn’t built for overwhelmed mums, but honestly? It kind of works like it was.

Have you tried Toggl or another time-tracking tool? I’d love to hear how you manage the juggle of work, motherhood, and ADHD brain chaos. Drop a comment below or come find me on Instagram @themessymumblog. My DMs are always open for a good time-management rant or tip swap.

And if you’re feeling totally overwhelmed right now? Start small. Pick one task, hit that timer, and see what happens.